Avs Ready For Tough Opponent To Begin Playoffs

The No. 2 Colorado Avalanche plays the No. 7 Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Avs aren't taking anything for granted despite being the higher seed in the best-of-seven series.

Citing Arizona's red-hot goaltender--Darcy Kuemper has posted a .933 save percentage in the playoffs so far, third-highest among those who have played at least four games--and a balanced attack, the Avs see a tough opponent.

"It's a huge challenge," said forward Nathan MacKinnon. "They're a very good team, well structured, good offense. You guys know what they're like, I don't have to explain it, but it's going to be a tough series."

Added defenseman Erik Johnson on what sounds out to him: "They're a stingy team. They don't give up a whole lot, but they can also score some goals. I think they're a four-line team. Everyone plays pretty equally, they have some D-men who can contribute on offense, and their goalie has been playing really well. Top to bottom, solid team, and we're looking forward to the challenge."

Arizona finished the regular season ranked 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-29-8 record, 74 points and a .529 points percentage, but the Coyotes quickly proved more formidable than their qualifying seed might have suggested. They dismissed the Nashville Predators, the West's sixth-seeded team, in four games, tallying four goals in all three of their wins in the best-of-five qualifying round last week

The Avalanche has already seen this team at its best. In their regular-season series, the Avs and Coyotes split its two games. Colorado won 3-2 in overtime at Pepsi Center on Oct. 12 as Andre Burakovsky scored the winning goal in the extra period before the Coyotes earned a 3-0 victory on Nov. 2 in Glendale, Arizona. Their final matchup, set for March 31, ended up being canceled due to the regular season concluding early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the playoffs are a different season, especially this year due to almost a five-month break. Intensity is higher in the postseason where every team has a clean slate.

Head coach Jared Bednar expects these conference quarterfinals to be a physical series throughout

"Arizona has an identity," he said. "They play to it every night, they're very consistent in what they do. They're going to make it difficult on our guys. We're going to have to be ready to deal with their checking. It's nothing that we haven't seen before, it's just that it's an important time of the year and they're a really good hockey team. They're proved that already here in the bubble."

However, he is confident his team will respond and play to its own strengths.

"We've been doing it all year," Bednar said. "It doesn't matter if we're playing a real defensive team, a real offensive team, we have an identity, certain things that we talk about all the time. There's going to have to be a high level of determination because they check, they play the right way, they have a clear cut identity of their own regardless of their opponent, and same thing for us. We're going to play to our strengths and keep doing what we've been doing all year long."